Wellford looks at options for sewer system

Friday

Jan 22, 1999 at 12:01 AM

DIANE NORMAN

More than 50 citizens crowded into Wellford City Hall Thursday night to hear information about the possible expansion of the city's sewer system.

Some were eager for a solution to septic tank problems, but others questioned the costs that would be spread among all the city's sewer users. The public hearing was a first step toward a public vote on the expansion project. "There will be a referendum to go to the poll and vote up or down," Mayor Sallie Peake told the crowd. "It's not just come here, and we decide tonight." Peake wasn't sure how soon a referendum could be scheduled, but she said the council could hold another public forum before the vote if citizens want it. If Wellford expands the sewer system citywide, current plans call for the work to be divided into three phases. At Thursday's meeting, engineer Keith Overstreet with B.P. Barber and Associates presented options for the first phase of construction, which would extend sewer lines to about 230 homes. The city can choose to install gravity sewer lines at an initial cost of $3.8 million or a low-pressure sewer system at an initial cost of $1.7 million, Overstreet said. Though the construction costs would be less with a low-pressure system, it has drawbacks in operation and maintenance, Overstreet said. In a low-pressure sewer system, each homeowner must have a pump installed on his property, and the city will have to maintain the pump. Also, the pumping system would be affected by power outages. A gravity sewer is the preferred system, Overstreet said. It would require no equipment or maintenance fees, less construction on private property, and it usually is not affected by a power outage. If the city installs a gravity system, sewer customers who use 6,000 gallons of water per month would pay about $46 in sewer fees, Overstreet said. With a pump system, the cost would be about $30 per month for 6,000 gallons of wastewater, plus a pump maintenance fee of $3 to $6 and the cost of electricity for the pump. Overstreet estimated the electricity cost at $1 to $2 per month. The average monthly sewer fee for about 100 homeowners currently on Wellford's system is $15. The city also would have to charge one-time tap fees when homeowners connect to the new system. Some residents expressed concerns that people on fixed incomes could not afford the tap fees or the monthly charges. Others were concerned that unexpected costs could drive fees even higher as years pass by. "People, this is terrible," said Buck Huntsinger, who lives on Main Street. "You don't know what you're getting into." But Genell Booker of 176 Moore St. said she has endured terrible problems with a neighbor's overflowing septic tank, and she supports citywide sewer service. "I would vote for city sewer today," Mrs. Booker said. "I would say this is a good thing for Wellford." Some residents who would not receive sewer service right away were concerned about how the project would affect their city taxes. The city can qualify for federal grants that would pay 45 percent of the project's construction costs. The remainder would be financed through low-interest government loans. Peake said the loans would be repaid solely with sewer fees, not with property tax revenues. But some listeners were skeptical. "The only thing the city's got is taxes," Huntsinger said after the meeting. Berry Reynolds, a Wellford taxpayer and real estate agent, asked the crowd to consider how sewer service could help the city grow. "We're about 15 years behind Lyman right now," he said, and it's because Lyman can provide sewer services to businesses. "When you get business into the area, the business pays taxes, and we're going to benefit," Reynolds said. But Huntsinger said he thinks homeowners will end up paying the costs associated with progress, if the sewer project goes through. "There are some business people in town who want sewer but don't want to pay for it," Huntsinger said.

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